Life and Love After the Blight
by RubyPele
Summary: After defeating the Blight, Kianni Tabris works to find a way to be with her love, Alistair. Will their plans work out or does fate have something else in mind? Rated M for later, will include other characters from Origins and Awakening.
1. Prologue

_A/N: Dragon Age, its characters, and its world are of course property of Bioware. Also, just FYI I have never written fanfiction before; in fact, I've rarely done creative writing, so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!_

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_Prologue

With a sigh, Kianni Tabris stood up from the chair in front of the vanity, glaring at herself in the mirror. Normally, she was not one to obsess over her appearance, but today was not a normal day. The Blight was over, and today would be the coronation of the new King of Ferelden. Since the king happened to be her lover as well, she wanted to look her best for the ceremony. Not that she was worried about his opinion, since he had seen her covered in dirt and gore frequently enough, and still loved her. However, she knew that appearances would matter to the nobles, and she was hoping to minimize any scandals around her and Alistair.

_Ironic that I'd actually care about those stupid shem nobles' opinions! _She thought to herself. _It's quite the leap, going from killing the arl's son to openly trying to impress them...but for Alistair, it's worth it._

Suddenly the door to her chamber was flung open, and two redheads, elf and human, burst in giggling. "Cousin! Aren't you ready yet?" teased Shianni. "I've never seen you take more than two seconds in front of the mirror before!"

"Well, it's not like I make a habit of going to royal coronations! In fact, I never have before, and probably never will again." replied Kianni.

"True, but I'm still surprised you care that much about it. It's hard getting used to how much you've changed in this past year."

"What can I say? Saving the world can really change a girl, you know!"

"Oh, and I suppose a certain handsome Warden has absolutely nothing to do with it, hmmmm?" Leliana asked, unable to stop herself from smirking.

Kianni blushed slightly, causing Leliana and Shianni to start giggling again. "Have you two been drinking, already?"

Shianni said, "Well...we kind of snuck into the kitchen, and they had this absolutely wonderful Orlesian wine, and so..."

"We saved you some though," Leliana added, pulling a halfway full bottle from her bag and passing it to Kianni.

"I guess I can't complain then," Kianni said, reaching for the bottle and taking a swig. "This should help with the nerves. Would you guys help me finish getting ready, please?"

"Ooh, can I do your hair?" asked Leliana.

"I'll do your makeup then, cousin!" exclaimed Shianni.

The girls chattered away while they got ready for the celebration. Finally, all three were ready to go. Leliana was dressed in an elaborate pale blue Orlesian silk dress to match the blue satin shoes Kianni had given to her while on the road. Shianni was dressed a bit simpler, although still in her finest dress. Kianni had on a beautiful silk dress that had been made for the occasion. The bodice was made of dark blue and was tightly fitted to her form to accentuate her bosom. Her long flowing skirt was made of shimmering silver, and did an excellent job of hiding the omnipresent dagger strapped to her thigh while still looking beautiful.

The coronation was held in the Landsmeet chambers. Kianni stood nervously amidst her companions from the Blight as Alistair gave his speech. _I knew he had it in him, _she thought to herself, _even if he didn't know it himself!_ As the applause swelled around her, she realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts and quit listening to the speech. Suddenly, she realized everyone was looking at her and Leliana was elbowing her and motioning to the stage. Kianni blushed and made her way up to Alistair-_King Alistair,_ she reminded herself.

"…Is there any boon you would ask of Ferelden's king?" Alistair asked her formally.

Kianni thought for a moment. Obviously, she hardly needed to ask for anything for the Wardens; king or not, Alistair was still a Warden and would never neglect their needs. But before she was a Warden, she had lived in the Denerim alienage. The day of her almost-wedding was as fresh in her mind as if it had occurred the day before, yet at times seemed like someone else's tale. And when she had returned to the alienage later and discovered the Tevinter slavers, she had learned that many elves thought she had abandoned them when she'd left to become a Warden.

_No one can say that I have abandoned my people a second time, _she vowed to herself, and took a deep breath. Looking into her lover's eyes, she announced, "I would like my people to be treated fairly for once."

Alistair's brows furrowed for a second as he said "Absolutely," then something perked up in his eyes and he smiled. "That's an _excellent _idea. I would like to create a new position so that the elves can be represented in the government. What would you say to becoming bann of the alienage?"

Kianni's eyes opened wide in surprise, and she smiled back at him. "I would be honored, your Majesty."

"Excellent! Also, I would like to grant the lands near Ostagar and the Korcari Wilds to the Dalish, so that they may have a homeland once again. So tell me, what are your plans? I assume you'll be staying on in Denerim?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Kianni said clearly, then lowered her voice and smirked while she said "I think you might need some help."

"Well, I didn't want to be too obvious about it…" Alistair said quietly to her, then turned back to the crowd and announced that their hero would be going outside to greet the people shortly.

Once everyone started milling about and talking amongst themselves, Kianni and Alistair had the chance to talk less formally. "And I thought you were beautiful in armor! You look absolutely stunning in that dress. I just might have to get you some more…" he said thoughtfully, his eyes running up and down her form.

"You don't look so bad yourself, your Highness!" she replied flirtatiously with a wink.

"Well, my lady bann, if you say so, but I can't wait 'til this formal thing is over!" he replied with a half-smile, half-grimace.

"Meet you upstairs later then?" she asked hopefully.

"Definitely! I'll be waiting," he said seductively. "In the meantime, your adoring public is awaiting your appearance. The guard at the main door will escort you."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_One year later_

Kianni strode purposefully down the hallway at Vigil's Keep. Although the keep had suffered great losses during the darkspawn siege ordered by the Mother, the strong dwarven walls had held and the structure remained sound. Most of the repairs were complete, thanks in no small part to the donations that had flooded in after she had saved Amaranthine at the expense of Vigil's Keep. Later that day, she would be hosting a bit of a thank you celebration for those who had shown their support. _It's been forever since I've seen Alistair, _she though wistfully. _Or at least it seems that way!_

She was now officially Commander of the Grey in Ferelden and essentially Arlessa of Amaranthine, in addition to being a bann and the Hero of Ferelden. _Surely I'm "noble" enough to satisfy them now?_ And yet, a storm of worry raged in her stomach. _I still can't provide him with heirs though! I hope my plans to seek out Morrigan succeed, and soon. _

Kianni and Alistair had come up with the idea after his coronation. Although he was originally reluctant to continue his relationship with her after the Landsmeet, she had convinced him that he had the ability as King to ultimately make his own decisions. By the time they had defeated the Archdemon, they were both willing to fight to stay together. After all, what were a bunch of pesky nobles compared to an ancient tainted god? _A whole different type of monster, _she thought to herself now.

And so, a plan was born. There were three main reasons she was not considered an acceptable bride for the King. First and most obvious, she was an elf. Second, closely related to the first, was that she was a commoner. And finally, the reason known only to a few people, albeit influential ones, was that two Wardens were extremely unlikely to bear children together. In fact, as far as she could tell, it was impossible naturally. She had already sent messages inquiring on the subject to Weisshaupt and been told as much, but she was not the type to give up that easily. They couldn't possibly know everything.

The plan was to knock out those reasons as much as possible. Obviously, she had no way to turn into a human, even had she wanted to do so. However, Alistair was planning on presenting it as a step towards unifying the races of Ferelden. Becoming a noble was a problem easily solved when one has slain an Archdemon and was the King's best friend and lover.

Having a child, however, was proving to be more difficult. They had certainly been trying, and would continue to try in the future. Leaving it up to chance was not a wise approach though, nor was it in her nature. Stubborn to a fault, just like your mother, her father had told her on many occasions. During her time in Amaranthine, she had decided that as soon as the darkspawn quieted down, she would go seek Morrigan's aid. The only other option she could think of was the old blood mage at Soldier's Peak, Avernus, but Kianni was reluctant to involve him in something so personal. Besides, she felt she could trust Morrigan, as they had become surprisingly good friends during the Blight. She'd promised the mage not to seek her out, but surely once they spoke and she was assured that Kianni had no intentions of interfering with her child, she wouldn't mind. _Or so I hope…!_

Kianni finally reached the door to her room and slipped inside. The guests would not be arriving until the afternoon, but she wanted to get started early. She was quite sweaty from the morning's workout and needed to clean herself up. Not that she would be wearing a dress any more than was necessary for propriety's sake, even today, but that didn't mean she wasn't looking forward to seeing the look on Alistair's face when he saw her in the dress she had picked out with him in mind. _Well, to be honest with myself, I'm really_ _more looking forward to the _not_ wearing it part!_ She smiled to herself and turned towards the adjacent washroom, then frowned as she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Instantly she went for her daggers, but relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Ah, my lovely warden! I'm pleased to see you are in good form as ever," the blond Antivan elf said as he stepped out from the shadows, smirking and looking her up and down lasciviously.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and smiled, stepping forward to give him quick hug. "Zev! As delighted as I am to see you, I can't help but wonder why you're here."

"Well, for the time being, the Crows are licking their wounds, so I headed to Denerim to visit with my old friends, only to find that you, my lovely lady, were in Amaranthine and some of our old traveling companions were planning on heading this way as well. And might I say, how delightful that you're holding a ball just in time for my return!" He winked saucily at her. "Also, I thought you'd appreciate a bit of a warning that your king is only about an hour or two away," he said as he gracefully settled into a chair in the corner.

"Dammit! That man is always late, until I need him to be, and then he's early!" She stuck her head out the door and called to a guard to inform the seneschal of the change in plans. She ducked back inside and shut the door as the guard saluted and rushed off. Rushing into the washroom, she stripped her sweaty armor off and hopped into the bath. While she was washing, she called out, "So, have you heard any word of Morrigan in your travels?"

"Nothing new, really. The same rumors of a lone dark-haired, golden-eyed beauty with a harsh tongue heading west into Orlais, towards Val Royeaux. Pregnant, it seems. You know about though, don't you? That is why you had me ask after her?"

She winced and squeezed her eyes shut, sinking into the water to think for a second. Resurfacing, she sighed defeatedly and admitted "Well…sort of…" She could tell that he was upset with her by the way he'd dropped his mask of flirtatiousness.

"Kianni, I can't help you if you don't tell me the things I need to know. Did you not realize that maybe knowing she was pregnant would've helped me find her? I find myself puzzled, knowing that on one hand, you trust me, yet on the other hand you are keeping these secrets about the very thing you expect me to help you with. What's going on?"

"It's not entirely my story to tell…" she started, stepping out of the bath and drying herself on a towel. "Look, I-no, _we_, will tell you everything. Just please, _please,_ let me take care of this silly party first."

Wrapped in a towel, she stepped back into the room and headed to her closet, pulling out her dress. The bodice was made of a deep blue velvet to match her eyes, with a waist made of fine silverite chain mail, and the skirts made of matching blue silk. Hiding behind the divider screen she used to delineate a dressing area, she quickly donned the dress and stepped out. "Could you lace me up, please?" she asked sweetly, smiling at him over her shoulder.

By way of answer, he stepped over to her and deftly started tying up the ribbons on her back. "As much as I'd rather be _un_tying the dress of a beautiful woman like yourself, I'd rather not have all of Ferelden's Grey Wardens _and_ Alistair's army hunting me down."

"What, Zevran Aranai, afraid of something as minor as an army? Surely you've gone soft!" she teased him.

"Me, soft, ever? Or afraid, for that matter? Hardly! I merely wish to avoid going to all that trouble-not to mention, I think it would displease you, no? And _you_ are a force to be reckoned with, indeed." He grinned at her and pronounced, "There, all done!"

She turned, and he inhaled sharply. "Gorgeous, my dear warden. Your bosom rivals that of the magical Wynne! Your templar may well faint at the sight of you." He chuckled at the thought. "I expect you have things to do now, so I'll take my leave of you, but we shall talk more later, yes?" And with that, he vanished into the shadows again, leaving Kianni to her preparations.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The courtyard at Vigil's Keep was in chaos. Organized chaos, but chaos nonetheless. The royal party was not the only group to arrive early; Teyrn Fergus Cousland's party was also early.

_It figures that the big, important people show up early!_ Kianni thought to herself with annoyance, heading towards the main hall. Her new seneschal, Brayden, joined her just before she entered. Unfortunately, the old seneschal, Varel, had perished during the siege, but had written a note before the darkspawn had managed to enter. She had offered the position to Brayden at his recommendation and so far the man had done an excellent job.

"Commander, the King is on his way in, and Teyrn Cousland is not far behind," he informed her. "I have their rooms ready, as you requested. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Thank you, Brayden, that's all. Just check on the preparations for the ball, okay?" she replied.

"As you wish," he said, bowing, and excused himself.

She looked around the hall, and was relieved to see all of the Wardens were more or less presentable. All were dressed in the formal silverite armor, with the exception of her two mages, Anders and Velanna, who were in blue and silver robes. Even Oghren looked okay, although he of course held a large mug of ale in his hand, gesturing with his other as he talked to Nathaniel and Sigrun. Sigrun was giggling, while Nathaniel looked vaguely uncomfortable behind his polite smile. Catching her gaze, he walked over towards Kianni at the head of the hall.

"Good morning," he greeted her with a smile. "I see that everyone is early. Do you-" He was interrupted by a herald announcing the King. They quickly knelt for his entrance.

"Commander, Wardens, you may rise," Alistair announced, his eyes on Kianni. As his eyes roamed her body, he smiled and blushed ever so lightly.

She met his eyes, taking note of the way his pupils dilated slightly, and blushed herself. "The Grey Wardens welcome you to Vigil's Keep, Your Majesty. We would like to thank you for your assistance in rebuilding that which was lost in the battle with the darkspawn. We can discuss more later, though, for now you must be tired from the long trip. Shall I have someone escort you to your rooms?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful. Would you mind escorting me yourself, Commander? I need to confer with you privately anyway. Official business and all that," he replied.

"Certainly, as Your Majesty wishes," she replied smartly with a confident smile and a tilt of her head. They set off to the suite she'd had prepared for his arrival. As she left the room, she called out, "Nathaniel, please take over the greetings for me. I shouldn't be too long."

As soon as the door was shut, leaving Alistair's omnipresent royal guards outside, he lifted her off her feet and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around his body and her legs around his waist, wincing slightly at the feel of the cold metal armor. Entwined, they clumsily made their way across the room and tumbled onto the bed.

"I've missed you so much…" his voice rumbled between kisses.

"And I you," she replied, then let out a small moan. "But still…" and she gasped as he fingered her nipple through the velvet of her gown. "Still, I should be greeting the guests….Oh, by the Maker's hairy arse! The seneschal told me Teyrn Cousland wasn't far behind you, and I left Nathaniel to welcome the guests!" She sprang up from the bed, smoothing her gown. "I am such an idiot!" She fiddled with her appearance in front of the mirror.

Alistair sat up, a little confused and very disappointed. "But, I thought things were okay between them after Nathaniel helped Fergus during that incident with the bandits?"

She turned to him, still patting at her hair. "Well, yes, it helped, but all the same I doubt the teyrn will be happy to be greeted by a Howe at Vigil's Keep. It's just a little too much, you know what I mean?"

He sighed. After some time as the king, he was able to understand the actions of nobility a little better than before, although he still found it ridiculous at times. _Especially when it interfered with _important _things, like…_and he decided to stop that line of thought before he got lost in it. "Alright love, I get it, I get it. I guess I could use some freshening up, anyway, but I expect to continue this 'conversation' later." He put on his best 'serious' face, then winked.

She smiled seductively back at him, leaning closer, and practically purred, "Oh, absolutely. I'll be giving you my _undivided_ attention later. Count on it." By the last, her lips were almost on his, and he could feel her breath as she leaned even closer to give him a kiss…which she ended rather too quickly, in his opinion. She smirked, running her hand along his cheek, then turned and made her way to the door.

Blushing fiercely, he replied in an unsteady voice, "Oh, I am…" As she exited, he flopped onto the bed with a groan. _That woman will be the death of me…in all the best ways, _he thought with a sigh, and started removing his armor to get dressed for the celebration that night.

* * *

_AN: Sorry if it's a little short. I've been aiming for at least 1000 words/chapter. This whole fiction writing thing is still kinda new to me. Oh, and thanks to those who are keeping up with my story and for the feedback. It's greatly appreciated!_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The ball was in full swing, and the room was filled with women in fancy dresses and men in their finest. Kianni was chatting with Alistair and Anders off to the side of the dancing, laughing as Anders recounted a tale about the time Oghren had passed out drunk and woke up with Ser Pounce-a-lot attempting to bury him.

"So, I told the dwarf that if he didn't stink like a turd, he wouldn't get buried like one, but you know what he said?" Anders laughed, waving his glass of wine towards them to punctuate his statement. "He told me-"

Just then, a group approached them. Bann Teagan and Arl Eamon were amongst them. Teagan smiled at Kianni, and bowed to Alistair. "Your Majesty, Commander, please excuse the interruption. I thought perhaps I could ask the Commander for the honor of a dance?" He offered an arm to Kianni.

She and Alistair exchanged a quick glance, and she replied politely, "Of course, my lord." Taking his arm, she headed to the dance floor.

Eamon, on the other hand, was focused on Alistair. To Anders, he said "Please excuse us, ser mage, but I need to speak with His Majesty." Anders shrugged and walked off to find a servant to refill his glass, and maybe find a snack.

Turning to Alistair, Eamon said formally, "Your Majesty, there are some people who have been wishing to meet you. If you'll follow me…?" He turned and began to walk without waiting a response. Alistair's brows furrowed momentarily, but he followed nonetheless. Eamon stopped in front of a swarthy-skinned older man with white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard, standing at the side of a woman who was most likely his daughter. She had her father's skin tone and facial features, and blond hair pulled up into an elaborate hairstyle. Eamon smiled in greeting, and announced, "Your Majesty, this is Lord Eddelbrek, and his daughter, Lady Maureen. They have been loyal supporters since Amaranthine was granted to the Wardens." Unspoken was the _unlike some_, for he had heard of the attempts to assassinate Kianni.

Lord Eddelbrek bowed respectfully as his daughter curtsied. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you," he said politely. Lady Maureen added her respects to her father's.

Eamon broke in, saying, "Eddelbrek and I have some matters to discuss. Excuse us, please." The two men left, leaving Alistair alone with Lady Maureen.

_Dammit Eamon! Won't he ever quit?_ Alistair thought to himself, trying to come up with a way of ducking out quickly and politely, or at least a nice neutral conversation topic. "So, my lady, how are you enjoying the ball?"

Lady Maureen smiled, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "Why, Your Majesty, it's delightful! It's such a relief, after all the upheavals recently, to just relax and enjoy ourselves."

Alistair nodded distractedly, barely remembering to smile back at her. He was looking around the room for an out, but trying to be polite. "Yes, after the Blight and now these recent darkspawn incursions, it must be a relief to you to not have to worry about the darkspawn for a while."

"Absolutely, but it must be a relief to Your Majesty as well to not have to worry about darkspawn anymore! Now you can turn your attention to the important matters." She tilted her head and smiled coquettishly and subtly pushed her breasts forward and together, drawing attention to her cleavage.

Alistair's eyes widened at this, suddenly realizing how close she was standing to him. He could feel his cheeks burning as he blinked a couple times and backed away from her a step. "Uh…well actually, I'm still a Warden, so it's my duty to remain vigilant against the darkspawn. So yes, I am glad the Blight is over, but in my mind the darkspawn will always be a threat." He furtively glanced around him, and spied Teyrn Fergus Cousland strolling nearby with a glass in his hand. "Teyrn Cousland! It's a pleasure to see you. Please, come chat with us. Have you met Lady Maureen Eddelbrek?"

* * *

When Teagan asked her for a dance, Kianni saw Eamon head for Alistair. She knew exactly what was happening, but had few options to do something about it. She didn't want to be rude to Teagan, who was actually quite decent for a nobleman. Besides, she trusted Alistair and knew that while he might play along with Eamon for a while, he wasn't as easily controlled as the arl would like to believe. And so she played along with the ruse.

"My lady? Kianni? Are you okay?" Teagan's voice brought her back out of her thoughts.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at Teagan. "Oh. Sorry, Bann Teagan, my thoughts were running away from me. Could you repeat that, please?" She flushed slightly, embarrassed to have been so unaware of her surroundings.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice. "No, I know what's on your mind. Stupid of me to ask."

She looked at him with a slight frown on her face. For an instant, he could have sworn she was about to burst into tears, but the look passed so quickly that he thought he might have imagined it. Then she nodded, face blank again.

"I'm sorry, about my brother that is. He believes he is doing what is right, for Ferelden, for Alistair, even for you," Teagan began, then lowered his voice more. "He asked me to…entertain you, so that he could have some time with Alistair."

Kianni stopped dancing, crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Not that I wouldn't want to dance with a beautiful and amazing woman such as yourself anyway!" he added in a hurry, motioning for her to keep dancing with him. "Come now, there's more I need to tell you." She began dancing with him again, curious about what he had to say.

"I just wanted to let you know that I want to help you and Alistair if I can. You have both done so very much for our family and for Ferelden, and you deserve some happiness. Eamon is stuck in the past in many ways, and just doesn't see that his way is not the only way. He is still my brother, and I love him as such, but I don't always agree with him. This is one of those times."

Kianni thought for a minute, brows furrowed and mouth in a bit of a frowning pout. "Are you offering to…spy? Like a double agent?"

"Well…I wouldn't put it exactly that way, but I suppose so. In this matter, yes, I will let you know what he intends," Teagan said with a nod.

Kianni looked up, into his eyes, and smiled brightly. She pulled him closer into a hug. "Thank you, Teagan!" she exclaimed. In a lower voice, she added, "Truly, this means a lot to me-to us. Thank you."

"There is something more you need to know. Eamon intends to try to make a match for him with one of the ladies of the Orlesian court, presumably to strengthen positive relations between the two countries. To that end, he is arranging a trip to Val Royeaux for Alistair. To discuss trade relations, officially, but he is hoping Alistair will return with an engagement, if not a wife."

Kianni went stiff and pale at this news, jaw dropping and eyes wide. _Val Royeaux! I was going there anyway, but now…Eamon will try to stop me. I'll have to find a way around that, maybe Warden business? Well, we'll have time to figure that out later. _She recovered her composure quickly and continued dancing with Teagan, plans forming in her head.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kianni held her torch out in front of her, looking for a stone switch sticking out from the relatively smooth walls. Nathaniel had told her about the passages he and his sister had used when they were young children, playing hide and seek around the Vigil. Tonight was the first time she had used this particular one, so she was unsure where exactly the switch to open the door was. Just when she was about to give up, she noticed a stone sticking out of the wall near the ceiling. _That must be it,_ she thought to herself, _way up high though, hope I can reach it!_ She set down the basket she had brought with her, and reached towards the stone. Stretching onto her tiptoes, she pushed the stone. It stuck at first, then suddenly gave way with a loud grinding sound as the wall in front of her swung inwards.

Keeping to the shadows, she picked up her basket and extinguished the torch, leaving it in the passageway as she crept into the room. She spied Alistair sitting at the desk with his back to her, casually flipping through a book while leaning back in the chair. With a wicked little smirk on her face, she crept closer to him.

"Good evening," she called out, still smirking.

Startled, Alistair dropped the book and attempted to stand up, his hands automatically reaching for weapons that weren't there before he realized whose voice had just greeted him. Instead, he got his legs tangled in the chair as he tried to stand up and turn around simultaneously, resulting in his tripping over the chair and lunging towards Kianni, hands outstretched as he attempted to regain his balance. Due to her quick reflexes, she reached out and caught him, but not before his face ended up pressed against her bosom.

"Mmmm," he said as he regained his balance and removed his face from her breasts. "Well, that was certainly an…interesting hello." He grinned at her and swept her into his arms. "I'm relieved to finally get some time with you! Eamon was dragging me around all night meeting people. I swear, the man missed his calling; he should be running a brothel instead of an arling."

"So I noticed," she replied. "Teagan was telling me all about Eamon's plans tonight. In fact, he even told me that Eamon has him trying to distract me, so that he could find you a woman more easily."

"I wish I could say I was surprised by that, but somehow I'm not. You do know you don't have to worry about it though, right?" Concern shone in his deep brown eyes. "I'm still young yet, even for a Warden. A queen and heirs can wait a little while longer."

"I know, and I love you for it…and for so many other reasons, of course. But he let me in on a few other bits of information, too," she said. She quickly went over what she had learned about the upcoming "trade agreement" trip to Orlais. "Also, I was planning a trip to Orlais myself. I've caught word of someone who might be Morrigan, heading toward Val Royeaux. I'm hoping she'll be able to help with our little 'issue'. And now, I'm worried that Eamon will try to stop me."

Alistair frowned, worried. "I'm not sure what he would come up with to stop you. I never would have thought he'd do anything drastic, but then I've learned a lot about politics recently, and it's rarely been a pleasant surprise. Maybe if you go separately, before us perhaps, and call it Warden business? You should take some of your new Wardens, as well. If I can't travel with you, I don't want you to travel alone." He saw the indignant expression on Kianni's face, and quickly added, "I know you can take care of yourself, but please? For me?" As he said the last part, he put on his best hurt-puppy face, looking straight into her eyes and sticking his lower lip out into a pout.

Kianni rolled her eyes and smiled good-naturedly, then giggled at the look on his face. "Okay, okay, I'll do as you say, love." Looking around, she spotted the basket that she had dropped earlier. As she retrieved it, she told Alistair, "Now that that's settled, I think we need some time together. I brought snacks!" She opened the basket, revealing fruits and cheeses, wine, and pastries. "You'll have to work for it though…." She winked at him and set the basket on a table, then sauntered over towards the bed, smiling seductively over her shoulder as she slowly began to strip her clothes.

* * *

The next morning, after very little sleep, Kianni woke up to the sun shining and the birds chirping. She stretched and gazed at Alistair, who was still fast asleep with his mouth hanging open a little. Smiling, she carefully extricated herself from his embrace and sat up. She jumped when she saw Zevran perched on the desk, casually popping grapes into his mouth with a cat-like smile on his face.

"You startled me! How long have you been there? Were you watching us sleep, like Shale used to?" she whispered to him rapidly.

"Not long, and not really, respectively," he replied quietly, munching on another grape. "Would that you had chosen to do something other than sleep, now _that _I would have watched."

"Oh, but we did. Just not this morning…_yet, _anyway."

"Hmm, perhaps I should have stayed hidden! Alas, I have news for you. These gatherings of nobility tend to be rather informative. Rumor has it that a certain dark-haired woman with a babe is now a trusted advisor to Empress Celene."

"Hmm, now that is interesting. How would you like to visit Orlais with me, Zev?"

"Well now, that's a delightfully romantic proposition you're making…"

"Hey! That's my woman you have there!" Alistair sat up in bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. As he stretched, he asked, "What's this romantic propositioning you're talking about?"

Kianni turned to him and smiled. "Morning, love. Zev was just telling me about how Morrigan might be at the Empress' court, and I invited him to come along to Orlais with me." She kissed Alistair gently, having seen the expression of distaste on his face when she mentioned Morrigan. "I'll be taking some of my Wardens, as well, never fear."

"Good. The more protection, the better." He pulled her into his arms. "Who are you taking with you?"

"Well, I thought I'd take Anders, to have a mage that's good at both healing and fighting. And Nathaniel is good at tracking and the like. Oghren, although drunk and stinky, is still formidable. And some space from his family for him might actually help; you know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hmmm…I need to leave someone behind to take care of business here. Brayden can handle the arling, but for the Warden business, Sigrun would be best. She needs a purpose, one that involves killing darkspawn."

"It's too bad Leliana isn't still in Denerim. She'd be very useful," Alistair said.

Zevran nodded his agreement and asked, "Wasn't she headed to Haven?"

"I think so," Kianni said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can make a stop on our way west."

"Well, I suppose that will work," mused Alistair. "I wish you could take more people with you, but too large a force would just attract attention. Just…be careful, Kianni." He looked at her with worry in his eyes, then hugged her fiercely. He buried his face in her hair and said quietly in her ear, "I love you, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

About a fortnight later, Kianni was in the main hall of Vigil's Keep, preparing to leave. Having just finished a quick but bountiful breakfast, almost everyone in her group was ready to leave. Anders had just gathered Pounce, who was now perched on his shoulder, licking and chewing at the feathers on his robe. She couldn't help but smile at Anders' attempts to get him to stop. Oghren was filling his flask with ale from the huge keg on the side of the room, having already put a couple bottles of who-knows-what in his pack. Zevran was leaning on the wall near the door, playing with a dagger. At the head of the room were Nathaniel, Sigrun, and Brayden, deep in conversation.

Striding up to them, Kianni announced, "It looks like we're about ready to go. We'll be heading to Haven, in the Frostback Mountains, and then on towards Val Royeaux. I might even try to get some recruiting in along the way, if the opportunity presents itself. Any last minute questions before we go, Sigrun, Brayden?"

"No, Commander," replied Brayden. "I doubt anything unusual will come up, but if there's anything you need to know about, I'll send a message to the Warden compound in Val Royeaux."

"I think we'll be fine, Commander," Sigrun chimed in. "It's been pretty quiet recently."

"Okay, then I think it's time we get moving," said Kianni. Raising her voice, she called out, "Everybody, time to get on the road!"

* * *

The trip was mostly uneventful, with the exception of the occasional encounter with groups of barely competent bandits. As they neared Lake Calenhad, however, they heard shouts and the clanging of a battle off in the distance. The group dropped their packs and pulled out their weapons, ready for attack. Suddenly, a huge ball of fire erupted off in the direction of the lake. Moments later, a pale-haired elven woman in mage robes ran out of the forest, stopping short at the edge of the road in shock. When she saw the well-armed group with weapons at the ready, she looked around frantically, then raised her hands as if to cast.

"Hold it!" yelled Anders. "I know her! Neria?"

The woman dropped her hands, although she still looked around like a frightened songbird. "A-anders?" she asked uncertainly.

"Who else?" he said with a flourish.

"You've got to run! The templars, they're right on my tail!" she said urgently.

"They can't touch me. I'm a Grey Warden now, Neria," he replied proudly.

"Well, I'm not, so I need to get going!" she replied abruptly, glancing over her shoulder and she started to run across the road and into the woods once again.

"Wait!" yelled Kianni. "I might have a solution." Neria stopped and looked at her uncertainly, while Anders gave Kianni a hopeful look. "Was that huge fireball your doing?"

She nodded, nervously glancing in the direction she had last seen the templars. She could hear a few shouts and the occasional clang of weapons or armor.

Kianni looked at Anders, one eyebrow raised. He nodded vigorously. "How would you like to be a Warden, Neria?" she asked the mage.

"No more tower, no more templars, and a lot more freedom and respect," Anders told her.

"Of course, there are some downsides. It's not a walk in the park, and your life will be dedicated to fighting darkspawn," she cautioned her. "And once you're a Warden, there's no turning back."

Anders laughed, and said, "Well, actually, I think it's rather like a walk in the park, just with darkspawn!"

Neria asked, "So the templars can't touch me? Really? My life is forfeit at this point. I would be honored to become a Grey Warden."

The clanging and shouting had come steadily closer during their short conversation, and it wasn't long before they heard rustling in the woods, followed by the appearance of half a dozen templars. The lead templar called out, "Apostate! I demand you surrender yourself to the Chantry's justice! Travelers, please continue on your way. We have the situation well in hand." While he was talking, the other templars began to spread out to form a loose circle around Neria.

"That won't be necessary, good sers," Kianni announced. "I am Warden Commander Tabris, and this mage is now a Warden recruit."

"Commander! This mage is an apostate. She has shown no regard for the rules of the Circle or the Chantry, and she will not follow yours, either. She must see justice!" the templar in charge yelled the last bit vehemently.

Kianni sighed, and told him, "Ser, with all due respect, I believe you may be a bit biased. I see no crime in not wanting to be locked in a tower your whole life due to an accident of birth."

"Mages are dangerous! Especially this one. She nearly killed my men! And see, she shows no shame or regret!" He was getting flustered, unaccustomed to encountering resistance. Meanwhile, the men began advancing on Neria again, whose eyes were wide with fear. The Wardens gathered around near her, hands on weapons, ready to defend one of their own.

"Enough!" yelled Kianni. "I invoke the Right of Conscription! Have your men stand down!"

The templar glared at her fiercely, then called, "Men! Stand down. The Wardens want this one, Maker save us all." The templars sheathed their blades and fell back into formation behind the leader. Before they marched away, the head templar glared at her once more, and muttered fiercely, "You may have won this battle, but those apostates can't hide in the Wardens forever."

Kianni pressed her lips together, eyes narrowing as she stared at the retreating templars. She didn't want to start a conflict with the Chantry, but she knew the Wardens had to remain autonomous and uninfluenced by any particular religion or government. Not to mention, she wasn't about to leave the elven mage to the templars' "mercy". Sighing, she decided to stop by the Circle Tower on her way around the lake to smooth things over with Knight-Commander Gregoir. _Might as well see if I can snag a few more recruits, as well._

_

* * *

_Kianni and Zevran stepped out of the boat onto the dock at the Circle Tower. She nodded her thanks to Kester, the ferryman, as Zevran flipped him a coin. He caught it with a smile, and wished them a good day before turning back to his boat.

The templars at the door called out "Halt!" as they approached the huge front doors of the tower. "What is your business here?"

Kianni introduced herself and Zevran, and requested an audience with Knight-Commander Gregoir. One of the templars escorted them to Gregoir's office, where the grey-haired man was sitting behind his desk, looking harried as always.

"Commander Tabris," he began with a slight frown on his face. "I think I know what brings you here. Please, have a seat."

"Yes, Knight-Commander, thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice. How have you been?" Kianni said pleasantly as she took a seat. Zevran remained standing near the door, listening and observing unobtrusively.

"I've had better days, but I expect you know all about that. You are here to talk about the apostate you snatched from my templars, are you not?"

She winced at his choice of words. _Snatched, great. Well, I knew he wouldn't be happy about it. Time to kiss some arse. _"Yes, I wanted to apologize about the way that happened. It was not and is not my intention to undermine your authority. Nor do I want to circumvent the Chantry's justice. However, from what I saw, she is a very powerful and talented mage, and the Wardens are looking to replenish our numbers after all of the recent darkspawn problems. One of my most trusted Wardens assures me that she is basically decent, and only wishes for more freedom. I sincerely believe we both will benefit from this arrangement."

During her speech, Gregoir's face went through a range of emotions: first surprise, then suspicion, disgust, and anger, finally superseded by a thoughtful scowl as he stared at her, tapping his fingers. Kianni stared straight back at him, willing him to calmly accept her words.

"You don't know what she has done!" he finally exploded. "She aided a blood mage in his escape! And then, once she had managed to regain our trust, she escaped! She cannot be trusted."

"She told me, briefly, what has happened. In the first case, she claims to have been helping First Enchanter Irving to catch the mage-who she did not even know what a blood mage, by the way."

Gregoir frowned at this news. "Yes, she claimed the same to me. However, that does not excuse her actions. There can be no excuses for aiding maleficar!" He punctuated this statement by shaking his head vigorously and pounding his fist on the desk. Standing up, he started to pace. "And then, she schemes her way into our trust again, only to turn around and escape at the first chance she got!"

Kianni stood also, hoping to at least partially negate the illusion of power he created by towering over her. Zevran silently took his place standing beside her, wiry grace ready to spring into action at the first sign of trouble. "Actually, I believe that was caused by one of your men." Gregoir stopped pacing and glared at her murderously, face red, and opened his mouth as if to say something.

Quickly, before he could start what would certainly be a loud, long, and painful rant, Kianni continued. "From what she and my Warden say, there was a templar here who was rather obsessed with her, who ended up murdering several apprentices after the…disturbance Uldred created. She feared for her life."

Gregoir slumped a bit in defeat. He closed his eyes for a moment and gently shook his head, then sighed. "Well, I admit, that was a rather nasty business. Very well. But I warn you, do _not _make this a habit. And also, I believe we would all feel better if you were to take at least one templar recruit."

Kianni nodded. She had hoped to gather more recruits anyway, so she was happy with the "compromise". "That would be wonderful, actually. Perhaps tomorrow you could have your candidates gather together for some sparring, maybe a bit of an informal tournament?" He nodded in response and started making some notes. "Well then, I need to speak to First Enchanter Irving as well. It's been a pleasure, and I look forward to seeing your templars in action tomorrow," she added with a smile and a single nod. Zevran opened the door for her with a small smirk and a flourish, and they left the room, relieved.

Once they were out of the room, Zevran leaned closer to her, winked, and whispered, "Nice work. You got everything you wanted, and he thinks he won something there." He chuckled under his breath as she winked back at him and whispered back, "Too easy!" with a smile on her face.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry it took a while to write this. It's been hot around here and I've had a headache for several days now. Also, I'll be going on vacation soon, so I might not be updating this until sometime in August. Sorry! I'll be back, though. _

_Also, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, put on alert, favorited, or whatever! it means a lot to me, especially since this is such a new thing to me.  
_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day, Kianni and Zevran sat through a long demonstration of various Templars' battlefield skills. Finally, it came to the end, and Kianni was struggling with a decision. The majority of candidates were fairly average, but there were a few knights who were clearly better choices than the rest. Two were men, but the other one was female, interestingly enough. She decided to talk to Gregoir and get his perspective on the character and abilities of the three.

"Knight-Commander, I have a few candidates in mind, but I'd like to hear more about them. I've narrowed it down to three I believe have the skills needed in a Warden: Bran, Edwyn, and Aylia. I'd like to know more about their character, their health, or anything that might be helpful in making a decision."

Gregoir nodded with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, all our templars are of good character, of course, but Edwyn in particular is very devout. He was seriously ill as a child, on the verge of death, when he recovered as if by a miracle. He's tough, without a doubt, although to be honest I don't know if he's too enthusiastic about being a Warden. He said he'll do as the Maker wills, however."

Kianni frowned a bit at this revelation. His earlier illness, miraculous recovery aside, made her worry about his chances for surviving the Joining, as well as his seeming willingness to go wherever he felt the Maker led him. A healthy body and strong willpower were vital to resisting the taint. "How about the other two?" she queried Gregoir hopefully.

"Bran has been with us for a while. He survived the rebellion during the Blight relatively unscathed. However, he can be a bit casual with his duties, although not neglectful. Aylia is fairly new to the templars, and was posted to the Tower not long after the end of the Blight. She is extremely responsible and dutiful, and works very hard. Female templars are not as common as male ones, and from what I've observed she seems to feel the need to prove herself better because of it." Gregoir finished speaking, and looked expectantly at Kianni. "So, have you come to any conclusions?"

Kianni nibbled on her lower lip and stared into the distance as she thought. _Bran or Aylia, or maybe both? _she mused to herself. _No, too much lyrium. How would long-time lyrium addiction affect the Joining? Insanity? Perhaps just Aylia then._ Turning to Gregoir, she asked, "Do Bran and Aylia take lyrium?"

A brief frown crossed Gregoir's face, although it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. _No doubt he wonders how I knew_, Kianni thought. "Well, all of our templars take lyrium in order to use their abilities. However, Aylia was made a full templar relatively recently, so she probably would need much less at this point."

"I'd like to speak with her, please," Kianni requested politely.

Gregoir nodded and announced, "Aylia, we need to speak with you. The rest of you are dismissed!"

The majority of templars left the area in a great cacophony of stomps, thuds, and clanging of armor as the female templar strode up to Gregoir and Kianni. She crossed her arms and bowed, and looked at him expectantly. "Yes, Knight-Commander?"

Kianni studied the woman. She was actually fairly pretty, with her blond hair pulled up into a bun and large, clear grey eyes. However, after seeing her in action with her sword and shield, she knew the woman was also quite powerful and not to be underestimated. Clearing her throat, Kianni said, "Pleased to meet you, Aylia. I'm Warden Commander Kianni Tabris. As you know, I'm here seeking recruits, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

After determining that Aylia would not have a problem working with the Warden mages, and that she was interested in becoming a Warden despite the risks, Kianni decided that she had her recruit. As she inquired as to how much lyrium she needed daily, Aylia blushed faintly. Speaking quietly just so Kianni could hear, she admitted to not taking it regularly or often. "I wanted to learn to use my powers without needing a boost from lyrium. I needed to show the men that I could do things just as well as they could, if not better."

Kianni smiled at her admission. Speaking in a low voice, she told her that she would no longer need to take it at all. "It's unnecessary for your powers, actually, and is more akin to a mage's phylactery than you realize."

Aylia's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, although she recovered quickly. "I suspected…but…" She frowned and looked thoughtful.

Having finished their business at the Circle Tower, the growing group was ready to proceed to Haven. On their way, they passed through Redcliffe. Eamon had recently passed the arling to Teagan in order to focus his time on being Alistair's chancellor, and Kianni hoped to hear the latest news from him. They arrived at Redcliffe just as dusk was falling, so she decided to stop at an inn on the outskirts of the town. After so many nights camping on the road, many in the group were looking forward to a bath and a bed.

However, as she opened the large, creaky front door to the inn, she was surprised to find the common room packed full of people. The hearth was ablaze merrily, and despite the chill outside, the room was quite warm. As she wove her way through the crowd on her way to speak to the innkeeper, she noticed that much of the crowd seemed to be composed of off-duty guardsmen. She remembered the first time she had visited Redcliffe, and how the barkeep had said that most of his business consisted of off-duty castle guards. _Maybe this is how the inn normally is when there aren't undead and darkspawn running around!_

Kianni called out to the innkeeper with a tilt of her head, "Hail! You are the innkeeper, right? I have a group outside, and we're looking for a couple rooms tonight."

The man looked up from where he was pouring a mug of ale for another customer. He scowled when he saw her. "Look, knife ears, this ain't a charity. Even with that fancy kit you got on, I know you don't got much coin." He started to turn away, but Kianni snagged his sleeve with one hand while she pulled out a fat purse of coins with the other. She jingled it in his face, and saw his eyes widen.

"The Grey Wardens have enough coin to pay for their lodgings, I can assure you. Now, how about some rooms?" she said coolly, standing straight and proud and looking the man straight in the eye.

The innkeeper flushed and made a little bow to her, apologizing profusely. Rather than looking like a gracious host, however, he looked more like a child about to wet his pants in fear. "Oh! Rooms, milady! I'm terribly sorry, really, truly, sorry, but what with all the visitors up at the castle we just don't have any rooms left. I could maybe find a bed in one of the shared rooms, but no more than that. I'm so terribly sorry, I am, but…"

Since it looked like the man was about to choke on his tongue, Kianni smiled and patted the man's arm, saying, "It's okay, calm down. What's this about visitors at the castle now?"

"Oh! You don't know? Well, the king and his court arrived just yesterday. On his way to Orlais, they say, to marry the Empress, least that's what I hear from some of his guards that come in here. Bloody Orlesians; they couldn't keep our land by force, so now they're after it 'nother way." The man prattled on while cleaning mugs, oblivious as she went pale and trembled slightly at his news about the Empress.

Kianni knew a main focus of Alistair's trip to Val Royeaux would be matchmaking, but to hear it from the mouth of a common barkeep gave the news the heavy weight of reality. Suddenly the room was too warm, too bright, and definitely too crowded, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She interrupted the man with an abrupt thank you, then spun around and purposefully strode out of the overcrowded inn.


	8. Chapter 7

Kianni carefully formed her face into an indifferent mask as she strode up to where she had left her companions. "The inn's completely full up. Tonight we'll have to make camp again." As she expected, groans and grumbling could be heard from most of the party. Zevran merely lifted an eyebrow and looked at her. "I know, I know, I'm not thrilled about it either! But standing here complaining isn't going to help anything, so let's get moving."

As the group took to the road to find a campsite, Kianni found Zevran walking beside her. "So, how is it that a town as big as Redcliffe has no rooms? And what about that is so upsetting to you?" At Kianni's answering frown, he made eye contact with her, saying, "Come now, my dear, you must know already that I of all people would be able to tell something's wrong. Out with it, then."

She almost sighed, but instead blurted out, "Redcliffe is full right now because the king is visiting on his way to Orlais. As for being upset, I was looking forward to sleeping inside in a bed like everyone else," she finished, giving him a look that warned him not to press the matter while the others were around. She pointedly looked around at their companions, taking note that Neria and Aylia were chatting amicably at the rear of the group. The two women were the only ones who might be unaware of her relationship with Alistair, and as their commander, she simply didn't know either well enough to feel comfortable discussing her personal life in front of them.

Zevran sighed theatrically and sympathized, "Yes, I too wish to be sleeping in your bed tonight. Alas, no bed." He frowned, then perked up hopefully. "However, I still have you! Perhaps all is not lost."

Kianni snorted, "Right, keep telling yourself that." She did smile at him however, because he had succeeded in cheering her up a little. "There's the site I was looking for!" she announced, and everyone got to work setting up camp. _Am I ever glad we all have our own tents!_

Neria, however, still couldn't handle pitching a tent. She had never thought it wise while she was on the run from the templars, preferring to remain unobtrusive and mobile, so most of her experience with tents had come in the last few days. Usually Anders or even Nathaniel would do it for her, but tonight Aylia had offered to help her.

She was surprised to find out that she had more in common with the former templar than she would have ever guessed. Both had spent most of their lives as faithful subjects of the Chantry, and both had lost their faith and were now rather cynical about the institution.

In Neria's case, it had started with Jowan's escape. After speaking with Irving, she had decided to betray her friend. She had reasoned that if she had been unaware of Lily, Jowan's Chantry sister girlfriend, then maybe he was capable of hiding his practice of blood magic as well. And unfortunately, their suspicions were proven right when he attacked with blood magic to escape. Granted, he only did so to protect Lily…but he was a maleficar all the same. Lily was horrified and went willingly to Aeonar. Neria, however, had merely been doing as Irving had asked, and expected to be praised, or at the very least not to be punished. Gregoir was insistent, however, and she had ended up on her way to Aeonar as well, despite Irving's attempts to spare her. It wasn't long into the trip that she had managed to escape.

Aylia had been disturbed by Neria's story. She had already heard a version of the story from her fellow templars, but had never heard anything about the First Enchanter's instructions to Neria. Aylia wouldn't have believed it before, but since becoming a full templar she had seen enough to make her doubt the supposed holiness of the knights in the order. Inside the plate armor adorned with Chantry symbols were people, mostly human men, and as such they committed sins too. In fact, some of the men took the anonymity and power associated with the uniform and used it as a cover for their violence or perversion. Not all templars were like that, she knew as well, but the fact was that some were and the Chantry simply didn't care, as long as it was 'just mages' that were the victims.

Now they were both free of the tower, and both Grey Warden recruits. As Aylia showed her how to stake her tent down, their hands brushed, and Neria pulled her hand back quickly, blushing and hoping Aylia hadn't noticed her reaction. _No doubt, she would be horrified to know I like women, and things could get awkward quickly, _she thought. As they finished the tent, she smiled at Aylia and thanked her for her help. The woman smiled back and nodded to the elf. "No problem. Just let me know if you need help again."

While Aylia had been helping Neria put up her tent, the rest of the party had been busy gathering firewood, hunting, and otherwise making ready. Nathaniel and Zevran had gone off separately to try bagging a few small animals for dinner, and Anders and Oghren were gathering firewood. Kianni was quickly chopping some vegetables and tossing them into a pot when Oghren came back and dumped a pile of wood in the firepit at the center of the ring of tents. He took a big swig of the flask at his belt, then let out a powerful belch.

Kianni looked up at him and giggled. "I think they heard that one all the way back in Denerim!"

"Eh, that's nothin'! Check this out!" he took several gulps from the flask, then let out another immense belch and promptly passed out. Kianni merely smiled and shook her head, getting back to work on dinner as Neria came over.

"Is he okay?" she asked Kianni worriedly. "I could heal him or something…" She trailed off as Kianni shook her head and chuckled.

"No, don't worry about him. He's always like that. He'll wake up in a bit no worse for the wear. Although if you want to be helpful, it'd be great if you'd start the fire for me." Kianni replied.

"Oh! Of course." Neria lit the fire with a quick flick of her wrist and a muttered word.

At that moment, Nathaniel, Zevran, and Anders returned together with a few rabbits and more firewood. Anders added some wood to the fire while Nathaniel and Zevran worked on cutting up the meat and adding it to the pot. Although everyone was tired, they were still chatting amongst themselves as they went about their tasks. Dinner was ready soon enough, and the Wardens quickly demolished the pot of stew, with the exception of a bowl set aside for Oghren, still laying where he had passed out earlier.

Kianni decided that she and Zevran would have first watch, second would be Nathaniel and Anders, and the third would be Aylia and Neria. As the two walked the perimeter, Zevran asked casually, "So, our King is in Redcliffe, and so are we. I had thought the news would make you happy, yet you're practically moping around the camp. So, tell me, who needs assassinating for putting that frown on your pretty little face?"

She snorted. "Well, the innkeeper was an ass, but he hardly deserves to die for it!" she said with half a smile. "No, it's silly, really. I just heard a rumor that he's going to marry the Empress. I trust him, I really do, but I don't trust his advisors, and you know how he can be a bit of a pushover, especially…" she trailed off, sniffling slightly as she tried not to cry, feeling a twist of pain in her stomach at the thought of _her _Alistair married to some Orlesian woman, a _fertile human _woman.

"Especially with Eamon, you mean," Zevran finished for her. "It would actually be an easy matter for me to 'take care of' the good arl, you know." He gave her a wink as they approached the fire again.

"No!" she whispered urgently. "I couldn't do that to Alistair. He still looks at him as family; Maker knows why after how he has used him."

"Well, if you should change your mind, I am your man as always," Zevran said smoothly with a quick bow and a smile.

"Thanks Zev," she smiled and gave him a hug. "You're one of my dearest friends."

"As you are one of mine, my lovely Warden," he replied. "Don't give up on your Chantry boy yet. He has grown much, and is not so much a puppet as Eamon had thought he would be. I'm almost proud."

She nodded, and was about to agree, when suddenly Oghren woke up, burped, and yelled, "Asschabs!" He laughed and passed out again.

Instead she just laughed with her friend as Oghren's snores resonated into the night.


End file.
